Clinical AdvisorCourt Allows DNP’s Defamation Case Against Physician to Proceed

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A recent defamation case in Mississippi highlights the legal implications of professional interactions between physicians and DNPs (Doctors of Nursing Practice) in clinical settings. The case centers on comments made by a physician questioning a DNP’s credentials, resulting in a lawsuit that survived a motion to dismiss. The court’s decision provides important guidance on what constitutes legally actionable workplace communications in healthcare settings.

Key Points:

• A DNP serving as Director of Inpatient Nursing filed a defamation lawsuit against a physician who publicly questioned how she obtained her doctoral title
• The court determined the physician’s statement “Who did you sleep with to get that title?” met the legal threshold for defamation under Mississippi law
• The case satisfied key elements of defamation: false statement, unprivileged publication to third parties, and potential harm to professional reputation
• Although the defamation claim proceeded, the court dismissed the claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress
• The plaintiff reported professional impact including need for therapy, work absence, and decreased job satisfaction
• The court specifically noted that the comments were made at a nursing station with other staff present, contributing to the determination of “slander per se”

“The court disagreed and noted that Ms A’s complaint asserted that the doctor’s statement conveyed that she was unskilled and obtained the Doctorate not by hard work and training but by providing sexual favors to others.”

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